Steering apparatus



H. 8v A.. LAWSON.

STEERING APPARATUS.

Patented May 28, 1889.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LAVSON AND ALBERT LAVSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,008, dated May 28, 1889. Application filed February l, 1889.l Serial No. 298,321. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that we, HENRY LAWSON and ALBERT LAWSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to steering apparatus adapted to be used on any class of boats; and it consists in t-he construction and novel arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a steering apparatus adapted to be used in connection with a rudder, the post of which may lie close to the taffrail, as is the case with a majority of small sailing-vessels.

A further object of our invention is to provide a steering apparatus that can be readily changed to suit a right or left handed person, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A further obj ect of our invention is to provide a steering apparatus which can be made very cheaply and with very few parts, as well as light and compact,but of sufficient strength to be used on vessels of-large size.

A further obj ect of our invention is to provide the rudder-post with a cap or head to be used in connection with our steering apparatus, said cap or head being so constructed that the saine may be readily adjusted around ,the rudder-post should the latter at any time become loose, or when it is desired to remove the rudder from the vessel; and a further object of our invention is to provide a cap or head for the rudder-post that will not split the rudder-post head, as is the case with the ordinary cap now in use.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View of the stern of a vessel with our improved steering apparatus attached, partly in section; Fig. 2, a plan view of our steering apparatus; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the nut or cross-head; Fig. 4, a detail view of the link and hinged pin; Fig. 5, a detail view of our improved cap; Fig. 6, a detail view of the cap ordinarily used.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts, A indicates a portion of a vessel, B the stern-post thereof, and C the taffrail.

D indicates the rudder, hinged upon Athe stern-post in the usual well-known manner, the post of which projects through the rudder-port and for a suitable distance above the deck of the vessel. Upon the deck and around the rudder-post is secured in a suitable manner a suitable box or housing, E, having the vertical projecting ends F.

Gindicates cast-metal yokes or guides bolted upon the upper edges of the ends F of box E, said yokes being provided with central half-bearings, e, and the outer end bearings, e', the other half of the central bearings be ing formed by the caps f, bolted t0 the yokes.

H indicates the steering-wheel shaft seated in the central bearings of the yokes, said shaft having an enlarged threaded portion, h, intermediate of the yokes. The outer or forward end of the shaft is reduced in diameter and squared to receive the steering-wheel I.

J J are tie or guide rods for connecting the yokes, the ends of said rods being reduced and passing through the bearings e and carrying the nuts g.

K indicates a nut or cross-head made of any suitable metal, though we prefer to make it of cast-iron in order to reduce the cost, said nut having a central threaded opening, k, through which passes the threaded portion h of the shaft Il, and openings 7c', located at each side of the threaded opening la, through which openings pass the tie orguide rods J J, the latter serving as guides for the nut K when traveling upon the screw h. The nut is also provided with vertical openings Z Z, l0- cated between the openings k and the central threaded Opening, 7o, for a purpose presently described.

As hereinbefore stated, in order to cheapen the construction of the nut we make the same of cast-iron. rlhe threads of the central opening, 7c, would in this case not be of sufficient strength or hardness to withstand for any length of time the wear and strain occasioned by the constant Working of thc wheel and shaft. To overcome this difficulty and at the saine time provide the nut with a thread which will answer the same purpose as if the nut were made entirely of brass or other hard IOO metal with the thread chased therein, we einploy the following means of constructing the thread in the nut to correspond with that on the shaft: When the nut is cast, the opening k is made somewhat larger in diameter than the threaded portion of the shaft, and is provided with the longitudinal dovetailed grooves m, of any desired number. The shaft is then placed centrally in the opening k, and the outer ends of the latter are closed and Babbitt metal or any suitable composition poured through the opening fm in the nut until the same has entirely filled the space around the shaft, and also the grooves m, and is then allowed to cool. formed which closely nts the corresponding thread of the shaft. The metal filling the opening m in the nut forms a key to hold the core in place from any lateral displacement. Similar openings, m2 fm2, are formed in the nut over the openings k', through which to pour Babbitt or other hard metal in order to make a snug fit therein of the guide-rods, and thus avoid any rattling or jarring of the parts caused by the waves against the rudder.

In order that the rudder may be manipulated in either direction when the steeringwheel is operated to port or starboard, we f employ the following means:

0 indicates a link or slide rectangular in shape and having the longitudinal rectangular opening o and the perforated lugs o', between which latter is pivoted upon a pin, o2, a rod, O', adapted to enter either one of the openings Z of the nut K.

P indicates the usual cap secured upon the upper end of the rudder-post and provided upon its upper face with the rectangular projection p, said projection having a central threaded opening, p', for the reception of a threaded bolt, p2, presently described.

The projection p is adapted to fit within the slot 0 of linkO, the latter resting upon the upper face of the rudder-cap.` The link is held in said position by means of a horizontal brace, Q, secured at its ends to the box or housing, as shown. Said brace is provided at its central portion with an opening, through which the bolt p2 passes and enters the threaded opening p. While said brace holds the link in contact with the ruddercap,`it also acts as a brace against any lateral play of the rudder-post.

Our improved steering apparatus can readily be used in connection with the ruddencap ordinarily employed. We have,'however, found in practice that when the usual rudder-cap is employed the rudder-post head soon splits by the constant wrenching of the rudder, and that said cap becomes loose and the rudder will not answer promptly. To obviate these disadvantages, we employ the sectional head consisting of the metallic bands R R2. The

band R is made in two sections, fr r', and is provided with the perforated lugs r2, through which are adapted to pass bolts r3 for tightening the sections r r around the rudderpost Thus a threadisV head, and with the vertical lugs fr, for a purpose presently explained.

The section R2 is made in one piece, and is cup-shaped in form, and is provided on its lower edge with recesses s, in which are adapted to fit the lugs r4. Said section R2 is further provided with a rectangular projection similar to that described with reference to the usual rudder-cap now employed.

In arranging the sections R R2 upon the rudder-post the section R is first secured to the rudder-post, and the section R2 then placed upon the upper end of the rudder-post, the lugs r4 being made to enter the recesses s, the two being then clamped together by means of the bolts r3.

The operation of our improved steering ap paratus is as follows: In turning the steeringcaused to travel upon the threaded portion of the shaft and imparts the desired movement to the rudder through the medium of the link and the hinged pin thereon, said pin by being. pivoted describing an arc of a circle, and the link having the elongated slot permits of this fmovement, the projection p sliding in said slot. v

Should it be desired to adapt the apparatus for a left-handed person, the pin and the link are reversed in position-that is to say, said pin is removed from the right-hand opening Z to the left-hand opening, as will be readily understood.

Although we have hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings a steeringwheel for operating the shaft, it will be unlwheel either to port or starboard the nut is IOO derstood that means may be provided whereby said shaft may be operated by steam or other power.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, isp A l. In a steering apparatus, the combination,l

with a threaded steering-Wheel shaft and a` nut traveling thereomof a slotted link adapted to receive a projectionv on the ruddercap and a hingedconnection between said link and the nut, as described.

2. In a steering apparatus, the combination, with a threaded steering-wheel shaft and a nut traveling thereon,of a slotted link adapted to receive a projection on the rudder-'cap and a hinged connection between said link and the nut, said link and nut being adapted to bel reversibly connected, in the manner Aand for the purpose specified. A

8. In a steering apparatus, the combination, with a threaded steering-wheel shaft and a nut traveling thereonv provided with vertical openings, of a slotted link adapted to receive a projection -on the rudder-cap and a pin pivoted to said link and adapted to enter either of the openings in the nut, as described.

4. In a steering apparatus, the combination, with the threaded .steering-wheel shaft, the yokes G, secured to a housing, E, said yokes having bearings for said shaft, the guide-rods IIO IZO

' J J, having bearings in said yokes, the nut rudder-cap, and a brace secured to the housing and to the projection of the rudder-cap over the link to hold the latter in place, as described.

In testimony whereof We affix ou r signatures in presence of two witnesses:

HENRY LAWSON. ALBERT LAWSON.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM E. BoULrER, M. B. HARRIS. 

